How The Internet Works
(What You Need to Know to Build and Publish a Website)
This page is not a how-to, it is just an overview to help beginners understand what the “moving pieces” are in publishing a website.
Domain Name
A domain name is the unique online “address” for the home page of your website. It’s like a special name that people can type into their web browsers to find your site. Just like your house has a street address, your website has a domain name. For this website, it is “ezwpz.com.” You are familiar with many domain names, “google.com.” “facebook.com,” and “wikipedia.com.” Domain names don’t have to end with “.com” – you have no doubt seen domain names ending with “.edu” or “net” and there are many others as well.
You need to choose a domain name that’s catchy and easy to remember, and then register it so it becomes yours. Most domain names are only about $12 a year.
If you run a business, it is important that you be the registrant of your company’s internet domains. Don’t work with any web development or hosting company that doesn’t let you register your own domain.
So, what happens when someone types a domain name into a web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.)?
DNS
When a browser tries to access a website, it does so by putting a request out on the Internet. And we’ll skip over the technical details here, but the first step you will need to be aware of is that something on the Internet called DNS will convert the domain name to an IP address. The IP address is the routing that gets the browser’s request to the actual web server where your website is hosted.
Web Servers and Web Hosting
Next, the web server receives the request from your browser, assembles the web page you have requested, and sends it back to you.
A web host is a company that provides web hosting services, meaning that it has computers (or, as in almost all cases, virtual servers) that are set up and optimized specifically to host and serve websites. The actual computer or virtual computer that “serves” your website is called a web server. These servers store all the files and data of your website so that when people want to visit it, they can access those files. These are most commonly run on Linux but can be run on almost any operating system. It’s a service provided by companies that have powerful computers called servers.
WordPress, Your Website Building Platform
So, what is the software that assembles and returns the web pages for your site?
At a minimum, a web page is a text file containing your content directly, formatted by HTML. In nearly all cases, there would also be one or more CSS files that handle formatting, as well as images and or other media types to make the site aesthetically pleasing. In many cases, there will also be some javascript code to make your user experience with the interface better.
That is just a very partial list of the components of a web page.
The primary software that puts all that together is sometimes referred to as the platform. A website-building platform is a tool that helps you create your website without having to start from scratch. It’s like using a set of Lego blocks with instructions to build something awesome. One very popular platform, and the only one we discuss on this website, is WordPress.
WordPress was originally a blogging platform but quickly evolved into an all-purpose CMS (Content Management System.) In fact, WordPress is by far the most widely used CMS on the whole Internet.
Content, Design, and Layout
Content is all the stuff that goes on your website, including the articles you write, the pictures you post, the videos you share, and any other information you want to provide to your visitors. You’ll need to decide what kind of content you want on your website, whether it’s blog posts, product descriptions, or even a portfolio of your artwork. The content is what makes your website interesting and useful for people.
Design and layout are like the decoration and arrangement of your website. It’s like setting up your room with furniture, colors, and decorations that reflect your style. With WordPress, you can choose from different themes or templates to start with, and then customize from there to make it unique and match your personality or brand.
Have Fun With It!
Building and publishing a website takes time and effort, but it’s also a lot of fun. You get to create your own little corner of the internet and share your ideas, stories, or products with the world. So, grab your virtual hard hat and get ready to build something awesome online!